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Spitfires have some unfinished business

The WHL-champion Kelowna Rockets open the Memorial Cup against the host Rimouski Oceanic tonight. The OHL champion Windsor Spitfires' first challenge will be from the QMJHL champion Drummondville Voltigeurs tomorrow.

Windsor Spitfires' Taylor Hall celebrates overtime goal that produced the OHL championship over the Brampton Battalion in Game 5 in Windsor, Friday, May 8 2009. The final score was 2-1. (GEOFF ROBINS / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

His overtime goal in Game 5 of the OHL final gave the Windsor Spitfires the league title and a ticket to the Memorial Cup, which begins today in Rimouski, Que.

"It's a feeling you can't describe," said the 17-year-old from the team hotel in Rimouski– 300 kilometres northeast of Quebec City.

"I still haven't gotten over it. It's been a few days now and I still can't believe it happened."

In preparing for the Memorial Cup, Windsor head coach Bob Boughner gave the team some perspective, having played in the Canadian Hockey League tournament with the Soo Greyhounds in 1991.

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The Greyhounds were swept out of the competition in Quebec City with three straight losses.

"He said, 'I remember going to that Memorial Cup and we didn't have a very good finish and it still bugs me to this day. So celebrate and be happy, but remember there's another goal to accomplish,'" said Hall of Boughner's advice.

Unlike Boughner, Kelowna Rockets head coach Ryan Huska has sweet memories of the junior championship. As a member of the Kamloops Blazers, Huska is one of only four players – Tyson Nash, Robert Savard and Darcy Tucker the others – to have won the championship a record three times. He also won a title as an assistant coach with Kelowna in 2004.

Huska's WHL-champion Rockets open the tournament against the host Oceanic tonight.

The Spitfires' first challenge will be from the QMJHL champion Drummondville Voltigeurs tomorrow (4:30 p.m., RSO). The Volts go into the tournament without much rest, having won their title in Game 7 over Shawinigan on Tuesday.

Impressively, they did it without the help of Leafs prospect Chris DiDomenico, who broke his femur in Game 3 of the Quebec final when he crashed into the boards. The Woodbridge native had been one of the team's top playoff scorers with 35 points in 15 games.

But even without DiDomenico, the Volts are still strong offensively with Yannick Riendeau, the QMJHL's top scorer in both the regular season (126 points in 64 games) and playoffs (52 points in 19 games).

"We know they're an offensive team with a great power play," said Hall of Drummondville.

Playing against three teams the Spitfires have never seen before will be a challenge, Hall added.

"It's difficult, but at the same time (the other teams) are going through the same thing," said Hall, the OHL playoff MVP.

"We just have to focus on our own team and these kids are going to have the time of their life," added Boughner. "It is a memory they are going to keep forever, so we're excited to play."

The Spitfires will be relying on Hall, Andrei Loktionov, Leafs prospect Dale Mitchell and Greg Nemisz to power their offence.

On their blue line, standout Ryan Ellis – a potential top pick in this year's NHL draft– continues to contribute offensively while running Windsor's power play.

They also acquired some Memorial Cup experience at the OHL trade deadline by bringing forward Scott Timmins, defenceman Ben Shutron and goalie Josh Unice over from the Kitchener Rangers, the Cup finalists last season.

"Coming over here to a young team with not a lot of experience in the playoffs, we've been taking a larger role on the team," Timmins said during the OHL final.

Despite the inexperience, Hall still appreciates how difficult winning the Memorial Cup will be.

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